Door for hopper-cars.



No. 693,9"). Patented Fab. 25, I902.

R. v. SAGE.

DOOR FUR HOPPER CABS.

(Application filed Oct. 21, 1901 (No Model.)

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40 and in dotted lines the doors open.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

RALPH V. SAGE, OF JOI-INSTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA:

DOOR FOR HOPPER-CARS. I

srnorrrca'rroiv forming part of Letters Patent No. 693,910, dated February 25, 1902.

Application filed October 21., 1901. Serial No- 79,341 (No model.) i I Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Doors for Hopper- Oars, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to doors for hoppercars, and has for its object to provide an imro proved device of the class described which will possess advantages in point of convenience, inexpensiveness, eiiectiveness, and

general efficiency.

Another object of my invention is to pro- 1 5 vide an improved device of the class described the operating mechanism of which will not obstruct the discharge of the cargo and will not be in the cargo when the car is loaded and the parts of which will be always accessible and easily manipulated.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved device of the class described that if accidentally opened while the car is in transit will not interfere with the track or any obstruction thereon below the top of the rails.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved device of the class described which will permit the bottom of the car to be as near'the track as possible and lower the center of gravity of the car when loaded.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved device of the class described which will be pressed upon by the weight of the load and the opening of which will be as- 3 5 sisted thereby and whose own weight will likewise assist in closing it.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of a part of a car embodying my improvements, showing in full lines the doors closed Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 isa vertical transverse view of the same on the line was,

.Fig.1.

Corresponding parts in all the figures are denoted by the same reference'characters.

My improved doors for hopper-cars comprise, in general, hoppers having inclined bottoms provided with openings, doors adapted to close said openings, arms pivoted at one end to the side of the car and at the other end to said doors, a rock-shaft extending transversely beneath the car between the hoppers,

' arms carried by the rock-shaft, links connecting said rock-shaft arms and said doors, and means for operating the same.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designatesthe side of a hopper-car; 2, the side sill of such car; 3, the center sill of such car; 4, the outside walls of a pair of hoppers in the bottom of such car, said hoppers extending transcenter longitudinally of such car by the center sill 3. In the form shown the center sill 3 comprises an I-beam, to the bottom of which a channel-iron 5 is secured. Plates 6 are secured on each side to the flanges 7 of the channel 5 and to the web'8 of the center sill 3 and to the end walls 9 and bottom 10 of the hoppers. The plates 6 extend to the bottoms of such hoppers and form wells 11 in the bottoms 10 of the The adjacent end walls 9 of the hoppers are a short distance apart and are inclined away from each other, and the bottoms 10 of the hoppers are inclined downward and toward each other. The bottoms 10 of the hoppers are provided at their lower ends with openings 12, extending transversely across both portions of closure of such openings 12 are provided. A convenient form for such doors 13 and that herein shown for each opening 12 comprises two plates 14, reinforced by angle-irons 15 where they are joined and at each side and each end, the angle-irons 15 on the outer ends of the doors 13 being turned around one end.

per are connected, such connection on the lower side of the door 13 being a casting 16, provided'with perforated ears 17.

, A convenient manner of mounting the doors 13 is herein shown as hangers 18, secured to the lower part of the side 1 of the car.

theside 1 of the car in'any suitable manner,

2. Such hangers 18 have two spaced depending flanges 20, between which one end of arms 21 is pivoted. The other end of such arms 21 is pivoted to the ends of the doors 13. The organization of the arms 21 and the doors 13 is such that when the arms 21 are swung in one direction the doors 13 are brought over versely of such car and being divided in the,

hoppers, extending some distance upward.

such bottoms 10. Suitable doors 13 for the The two portions of the door 13 for each hop- In I the form shown the hangers 18 are secured to herein shown as rivets 19, and extend under and abut against the bottom of the side sills the openings 12, so as to close the same and to hold the doors 13 tightly against the bottoms 10 of the hoppers, the arms 21 in such case being slightly inclined, so that the weight of the cargo, which rests to a certain extent upon the doors 13, will aid in opening such doors 13. When the arms 21 are swung in the opposite direction, the lower ends of such arms 21 describe arcs of circles whose centers are the pivots of said arms 21 on the side 1 of the car and whose radii are such arms 21, respectively. The doors 13 are carried entirely clear and away from the openings l2 but the curve described by the doors 13 does not extend as low as the top of the rails. The weight of the doors 13 will assist in closing them.

A convenient means of opening and closing ihedoors 13 is provided, comprising links 22, connected with arms 23, carried by a rockshaft 24, extending across beneath the car between the end walls 9 of the hoppers. In the form illustrated in the drawings a plate 25 is secured to the side walls 2 of the hoppers in any suitable manner, herein shown as rivets 26, and rein forced by angle-irons 27 at top and bottom. A rock-shaft 24 is journaled in the plates 25 and provided about the middle with arms 23, extending normally upward on opposite sides of the shaft 24. Links 22 are pivotally connected at one end with the perforated cars 17 and extend one over and one under the shaft 24 and have their other ends curved and connected with the arms 23. The shaft 24 is provided at one end with a ratchet-wheel 30, adapted to be engaged by a pawl 31, pivotally mounted on the plate 25. The ends 32 of the shaft 24 are square and adapted to receive a lever, (not shown,) by which it may be rocked. A suitable cam 33 is pivoted on the plate 25 and adapted to lock the pawl 31 in engagement with the ratchetwheel 30.

If desired, one of the links 22 can be detached from the arm 23 and the doors 13 on one side of the shaft 24 and the same mechanism used to operate the doors 13 on one side of the shaft 24 only.

The operation and advantages of my invention will be readily understood and appreciated.

The cam 33 is turned away from the pawl 31 and the pawl released from the ratchetwheel 30 and the shaft 24 rotated until the arms 23 occupy positions respectively diametrically opposite to their normal positions. This causes the links 22, acting through the lugs 16, to swing the arms 21 in opposite directions, carrying the doors 13 away from the openings 12. The cargo can now be discharged without any hindrance or obstruction from the doors 13, which are removed entirely from beneath the openings 12. After their normal position.

the doors 13 against the bottom 10 of the hopper, closing the openings 12. When the doors 13 have been drawn tightly against the bottom 10 of the hoppers, the pawl 31 is pressed into engagement with the ratchet-wheel 30 and the cam turned against the pawl 31, looking it in such engagement.

By the use of myimproved doors for hoppercars one shaft operates the doors of both hoppers and by the organization of the parts the bottom of the hoppers can be very near the level ofthe track, which lowers the center of gravity of the loaded car, which is of great advantage. The doorswhen opened do not swing as low as the tops of the rails, and hence, if opened accidentally while the car is in transit, will not interfere with the track or any obstruction thereon below the top of the rails.

I do not desire to be understood as limiting myself to the details of construction and arrangement as herein described and illustrated, as it is manifest that variations and modifications may be made in the features of construction and arrangement in the adaptation of the device to various conditions of use without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention and improvements. I therefore reserve the right to all such variation an d modification as properly fall within the scope of my invention and the terms of the following claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patout- 1. In a carprovided with a pair of hoppers in its bottom, divided in their center longitudinally of the car by the center sill, and having walls extending from each side of said sill to the bottom of said hoppers forming a well in the bottom of each hopper extending upward, said hoppers having transverse openings in their bottom, doors adapted to close said openings, pivoted arms carrying said doors, a rock-shaft extending transversely beneath the car, arms carried by said rockshaft, and links connecting the said doors with said arms and adapted to move in said wells.

2. In a car provided with a pair of hoppers in its bottom, having openings in their bottoms, doors adapted to close said openings, a

rock-shaft between said hoppers,pivoted arms carrying said doors, arms carried by said rockshaft, links connecting said rock-shaft arms and said doors, and means for operating the same.

' 3. In hopper-cars, having a plurality of spaced hoppers, doors adapted to close the discharge-openin gs in said hoppers, arms pivoted at the sides of the car and to the ends of the doors, rock-shafts between each pair of hoppers connected with the door of each of said pair of hoppers, and means to rock said shaft to open and close said doors.

4. In hopper-cars, provided with a series of hoppers extending transversely of the car,

doors adapted to close the discharge-opeuin gs of such hoppers, arms pivoted to the sides of such door, and a rock-shaft located in proxthe car and to the ends of such doors, a rookimity to such hopper and connected with said shaft extending across beneath the car bedoor, said shaft adapted to open and c1ose15 tween each pair of such hoppers, arms carried said door.

5 by such shaft, links connecting said rock- In testimony whereof I have signed my shaft arms With the doors of the hopper on name in the presence of the subscribing witeach side of said shaft and means for operatnesses.

in the same.

3. In a car provided with a hopper in its RALPH SAGE :0 bottom, said hopper having an inclined bot- I Witnesses:

' tom and an opening therein, a door adapted I HARRY W. BARCLAY,

to close such opening, pivoted arms carrying FRED E. MCQUEEN. 

